Dual diagnosis can be a situation in which two independent disorders exist, and most typically describes a co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorder. A dual diagnosis will help someone that may not have been capable of being helped previously, stop substance abuse by being correctly diagnosed and helped. Their mental health disorder may have been misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or treated incorrectly which may have prompted and led to their drug abuse problems. Establishing the truth that someone is in fact a dual diagnosis client not merely helps establish an effective course of treatment for them, but may also help clients better understand what triggered their drug abuse and ways to prevent it in the foreseeable future. Addressing dual diagnosis may be a more extensive process when compared to a typical drug rehab program, and people with a dual diagnosis might be required to participate in an extensive aftercare program which might include appropriate medical support and also continued rehabilitation services. Being diagnosed with co-occurring disorders doesn't signify the person will have to be medicated for the remainder of their lives either, and actually a lot of people with a dual diagnosis experience far better outcomes when treated holistically and when alternative treatment methods are utilized.